God Uses Every Part of Your Story for Good

Sometimes God works in big, flashy ways, like parting the Red Sea, multiplying the fish and loaves, or raising Lazarus from the dead.

But sometimes God works behind the scenes, through faithful followers who use their gifts for his purposes. That’s what happens in the book of Esther:

God uses normal people in normal situations, making normal decisions that change the destiny of the world.

Esther was an ordinary Hebrew woman who used both her gifts and her liabilities to save the nation of Israel. She became the wife of King Xerxes and thwarted a plot to wipe out the Hebrew people. It took a lot of bravery on her part, but she embraced her destiny and did the work God called her to do.

On the surface, Esther looked like an unlikely hero. She was poor and marginalized, an orphan, and a believer in God—in a culture where none of those things were favored.

But God also gave Esther gifts. She was smart, which helped her navigate the political intrigue of the palace. She was beautiful, making her stand out to the king. And she was winsome, with a personality that helped her find favor with many different people.

God loves to work through ordinary people. Esther’s gifts combined with her liabilities made her exactly the kind of person God uses to make a difference for his kingdom.

What looks like a recipe for disaster is often the start of God’s plan. Everything in your life—even the bad parts or the parts you don’t understand—has a purpose. Your gifts and your liabilities uniquely equip you for what God has planned for you to do. You may not save a nation, as Esther did. But you could help save a soul. You may not challenge a king. But you could stand up for what’s right. You may not protect an entire people group. But you could protect and encourage the faith of the young people God has put in your life.

All you need to do is remain faithful.

The Bible teaches, “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God” (1 Peter 4:10 GNT). “Each one”—that means everyone is included. There is no one without talent. There is no one God hasn’t gifted.

Take an inventory of your life. What gifts has God given you? What hard things have you experienced? None of it is insignificant. Like he did for Esther, God can use every single detail of your life for good.

 

Pastor Rick